The present invention relates to fluid flow control devices, and particularly to such devices useful as multiple-emitters for drip-irrigation.
My prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,288,035 discloses a fluid flow control device particularly useful as a drip-irrigation emitter. Briefly, that device comprises a housing including a control member disposed within but unattached to the housing so as to be freely movable therein, said housing including a wall formed with an inlet opening and an outlet opening both facing the same said of said control member and located so as to be covered and uncovered by said side of the control member as the control member moves towards and away from said wall of the housing.
An object of the present invention is to provide a fluid flow control device which is similar in structure and operation to the device of that Patent Specification but which is particularly useful as a multiple-emitter for drip-irrigation, namely for directing the water to flow from a common inlet of the emitter to a plurality of outlets each conducting the water to the point of the use of the water, such as to a separate plant. Another object of the invention is to provide a novel multiple-emitter having a number of significant advantages over the known ones, as will be described more particularly below.